Chao Phraya Princess Cruise: Bangkok Dinner Review 2026
Is the Chao Phraya Princess Cruise worth it? Read our honest 2026 review on Bangkok's famous dinner cruise, featuring stunning Wat Arun views and live music.
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Is the Chao Phraya Princess Cruise worth it? Read our honest 2026 review on Bangkok's famous dinner cruise, featuring stunning Wat Arun views and live music.
🇹🇭 Exploring Bangkok, Thailand
✅ Capture the illuminated Wat Arun with just you in the frame!
✅ 'Dinner' Cruise: Enjoy a delicious meal while taking in the stunning night views
✅ Enjoy lively live performances on board
😭 The crowds can be overwhelming while waiting to board the cruise
🎵 The playlist is packed with upbeat, energetic songs,
so it might not be ideal if you're looking for a quiet, relaxing vibe
🚕 Catching a Grab to head back to your hotel can be quite a challenge
#BangkokTravel #BangkokDinnerCruise #BangkokDinnerCruiseRecommendation
On our recent three-sibling trip to Bangkok,
my younger sibling booked just one specific experience for us:
the Bangkok Chao Phraya Princess Cruise!
They confidently did a ton of research and comparison,
assuring us they booked the absolute best option...
and wow, it did not disappoint! We were completely thrilled with how amazing it turned out to be.
✈️ Chamstar's Quick-Bite Travel ✈️
✔️ Today's "Snapshot" Point
Soaking in the stunning Bangkok night view from the dinner cruise all at once!
✔️ Today's "Bite" Point
Is the dinner served on the cruise actually delicious?
Booking the Bangkok Dinner Cruise
Since Bangkok’s most iconic temples line the Chao Phraya River,
the sunset and dinner cruise options are incredibly well-developed,
leaving you with so many choices!
After comparing quite a few options,
we chose the Chao Phraya Princess Cruise because it checked all our boxes:
lively atmosphere + diverse food options + great reviews + flexible cancellation policy.
🔻Book your Bangkok Dinner Cruise here🔻
Bangkok Chao Phraya Princess Cruise - Klook
What I loved most about this option
was the cancellation policy.
If you book in advance and plans change unexpectedly once you're there,
you don't have to force yourself to go just because you can't get a refund!
One of its biggest advantages is that
you can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
(For comparison, other platforms like MyRealTrip
only offer full refunds up to 4 days before the trip.)
Picking Up Your Ticket at IconSiam (Check-in)
You can pick up your dinner cruise tickets
at the SookSiam zone located on B1 (G Floor)
of IconSiam!
If you get lost, just wander around the outer perimeter of SookSiam
until you spot a neat, quiet-looking check-in area.
Check-in Time is 18:00 - 19:00
While checking in, I mentioned that we'd love outdoor seating.
Hoping to get a prime table spot, I made sure
to smile and speak as warmly as possible!
After all, kindness always comes back to you! ~
They'll show you a map of the boarding location so you don't get lost.
It's a lifesaver to snap a quick photo of this beforehand!
IconSiam is way bigger than you might think!
Keep your tickets safe in your bag,
and simply hand them over when you're ready to board the cruise later!
So definitely **be careful not to lose it**!
Bangkok Dinner Cruise
After hanging out at the Starbucks in IconSiam
and picking up some souvenirs around SookSiam,
I headed out toward the gates right on time.
Since the **boarding time was 7:30 PM**,
I thought arriving about 30 minutes early would be plenty, right~~~~?
Up until this moment, I had this innocent, naive idea
that showing up 30 minutes early would be more than enough.
But the moment I stepped out onto the pier, I was absolutely shell-shocked!
Whoaaa...
It felt like **every single tourist in Bangkok**
had gathered in this exact spot!!
**Bangkok's sweltering heat + endless crowds + unfamiliar place**
**= My brain completely short-circuited**
Since different cruise lines use different piers,
you need to find the **pier number printed on your ticket**.
But with so many people packed together,
I couldn't make heads or tails of where to go.
If you end up in this state, just **show your ticket to the staff**
**and they will point you in the right direction**,
so just flash your ticket to them right away!
Thankfully, there are staff members stationed along each line,
so you'll find your way without any trouble. No worries!
Also, as you walk over to line up, a staff member will suddenly appear
**with a camera to take your photo.**
They'll superimpose it on a souvenir background to sell later!
*(Buying it is completely optional, up to you!)*
With so many people gathering at the exact same time,
the lines wind around and overlap quite a bit, but
there's really no need to stress.
Once boarding starts, the line moves super fast,
and since **your table is already assigned**
**when you check in**, your spot is perfectly safe anyway!
Chao Phraya Princess Dinner Cruise
Bangkok Dinner Cruise / Klook
When you board, you have to show your ticket along with a **round sticker**,
right?
They told me to keep it on while moving around the boat,
so I stuck that little round sticker right on my left shoulder.
But when I checked while waiting in line, **it had fallen off and was gone**!!!
I totally panicked for a second... ㅠ.ㅠ
Fortunately, when I showed my ticket to the staff at the entrance
and told them **I lost my sticker**, they said **it was totally fine**!
As long as you have your ticket with you,
you'll get in **without any issues**, so don't worry! :)
Dinner Cruise Outdoor Table Seating
Ever since booking, I knew I **absolutely wanted the 2nd floor**!
The 1st floor is air-conditioned and comfortable,
but I wanted to feel the **refreshing breeze** on the 2nd floor
and fully immerse myself in that **cruise vibe**.
That's why I went with the 2nd-floor outdoor seating no matter what! :)
And honestly, throughout the entire ride,
**a lovely breeze was blowing, so it didn't feel hot at all!**
To snag a great spot,
I checked in super early, right?
And the seat number I got was 2nd Floor MR!!
I was incredibly happy with this seat!
Even though it's an outdoor table, it was right where the ceiling starts, so
Even if there's a sudden downpour, there's absolutely no need to panic,
and since the live music performance is happening right in front of you,
you get a front-row seat to all the action!
Drinks / Welcome Tea
There was a welcome drink waiting at every single table,
and it tasted wonderfully sweet and refreshing!
Served in a beautiful glass, it was absolutely perfect
for setting the mood and snapping some aesthetic photos.
You can order alcoholic beverages either by scanning the QR code or asking a staff member.
Just keep in mind that for this dinner cruise,
alcoholic drinks are not included in the ticket price,
so you'll need to pay an extra charge for those!
International Buffet
Now for the most important part of any 'dinner' cruise: the food!
Since it's an international buffet,
there's a wide variety of dishes from all over the world.
No need to worry about being a picky eater—there’s something for everyone,
so you can just grab whatever catches your eye!
The food is laid out in a long station,
and the setup allows people to queue and move down from both sides
to fill up their plates.
Because of this, it's a bit tough to double back once you pass a dish.
Pro tip: if you see something you want, make sure to scoop it onto your plate on the first pass!
It was busier than I expected,
so the lines for food can get quite long.
I'd recommend either heading straight to the buffet line
the moment they announce that dinner is served,
or waiting a bit until the initial rush dies down
before making your move!
They even had kimchi, and let me tell you, it was incredibly popular!
As soon as a fresh, empty plate was refilled,
everyone nearby would grab a serving,
making it disappear in the blink of an eye. It was so fascinating to watch!
I had read some reviews saying the food might be mediocre, so I didn't expect much.
But my younger brother spent the entire two hours just focusing on eating!
When we finally got off the cruise and I checked on him,
his belly was literally shaped like a perfect "D" lolololol
He looked thoroughly satisfied!
Since they set up separate food stations on the 1st and 2nd floors,
you don't have to worry about running up and down the stairs.
You can totally leave that worry behind! ^,^
Dinner Cruise: Wat Arun
While my brother boarded the cruise mostly looking forward to the dining experience,
I boarded solely to capture this breathtaking night view of Wat Arun!
That was my ultimate mission!
If you spot Wat Arun in the distance while eating,
just head out to the front deck of the cruise to snap some photos.
When you're on the dinner cruise, Wat Arun will appear
on your left when departing from IconSiam,
and on your right when returning back to IconSiam.
Which means, you get to see it twice in total!
My brother said he was perfectly fine without photos and preferred to keep eating,
so my sister and I went out and took a million photos like crazy!
I was worried they wouldn't turn out well because of the dark,
but you can get incredibly beautiful shots even with just an iPhone!
Bangkok Dinner Cruise Night View
Even if it wasn't just Wat Arun, seeing all the iconic landmarks of Bangkok
lined up along the Chao Phraya River
was an absolute feast for the eyes and pure happiness.
ICONSIAM looks absolutely stunning all lit up!
When you see this glittering ICONSIAM
getting closer on your right,
it means it's almost time to disembark.
Live Performances
The live performance goes on for the entire 2-hour cruise,
and the playlist is packed with high-energy tunes to get everyone in the groove.
Towards the end, they even played some popular global hits
to get the crowd hyped up and participating!
Of course, only those who want to go up to the front do,
and for the rest of us, just cheering along is perfectly fine,
so you can enjoy it completely pressure-free! :)
During the show, they sang a Happy Birthday song!
It turns out that if it's your birthday on the day of the cruise,
you can get a free birthday cake and a custom song celebration.
**How to Get a Free Birthday Cake**
The birthday person must enter their date of birth upon booking,
and bring your passport on the day of the cruise for verification!
Even if you didn't enter it in advance when booking,
you might miss out on the cake, but you can still get celebrated.
If you tell the live singer it's your birthday,
they will sing you a Happy Birthday song right then and there
as a gift!
(So expect to hear it about 6 times throughout the night, haha!)
Right when we were about to arrive at ICONSIAM, a staff member came by
and showed us the photo they took outside
while we were waiting to board!
It was a slightly cheesy, photoshopped picture,
but since it was a photo of the three of us siblings, I thought it'd be nice to give to our parents,
so I bought it for 200 Baht (~$6).
My mom absolutely loved it when she saw it!
ICONSIAM Taxi / Grab
Once the incredibly healing dinner cruise ends,
the hectic mission of heading back home begins!
If you're planning to catch a Grab right after it ends,
you should prepare for a near-impossible mission...!
In a city like Bangkok with notorious traffic jams,
ICONSIAM is one of the absolute busiest hotspots.
Since ICONSIAM offers a dedicated taxi service,
I highly, highly recommend utilizing this instead!
The location is towards the NaRaYa store on the 1st floor.
You can just follow the crowd
or ask one of the staff members for directions.
Since there are taxis that try to drive with the meter off,
you must make sure the meter is on as soon as you get in,
and double-check the price.
I boarded thinking it would be around 300 Baht (~$9),
but as soon as we started, I realized
there was no meter and they demanded 500 Baht (~$15),
so I immediately started haggling!
And I successfully bargained it down to half price at 250 Baht (~$7) ^,^
(I'll write up a post on negotiation tips next time!)
Dinner Cruise Tips & Precautions
1. Take Motion Sickness Medicine 1 Hour Before
If you're prone to motion sickness, make sure to take medication
at least an hour before boarding.
Personally, I usually get both car and seasickness,
but since the cruise glides smoothly without rocking back and forth,
and you can focus on the gorgeous scenery as you sail,
I didn't feel even a slight hint of discomfort during the ride.
2. No Outside Food Allowed
Packaged foods purchased at ICONSIAM as souvenirs
are completely fine to bring aboard, so no worries there!
3. Bring Your ID If You Plan to Drink
If you're planning to enjoy a drink onboard,
you'll need to bring an ID for age verification.
Keep in mind that the legal drinking age in Thailand is 20,
which might be different from your home country! Definitely worth remembering.
4. Allergies and Gluten Sensitivity
Since the dinner is served buffet-style,
please note that they cannot provide custom, individualized meals
even if you have specific food allergies!
Bangkok Dinner Cruise Recommendation: Onboard Dinner Booking & Review
It was far more satisfying than I ever expected—
my incredible Bangkok Dinner Cruise!
I was worried the outdoor seating might be too hot,
but feeling the cool river breeze made it incredibly refreshing.
It was such a unique and healing experience!
Bangkok Chao Phraya Princess Cruise - Klook
Oh, and on the day I went,
there was actually a large company group booking!
So keep in mind that it's also a very popular option
for large corporate events or group outings :)
Check-in takes place at the SookSiam zone on the B1 floor of ICONSIAM. The check-in time is from 18:00 to 19:00.
You can see Wat Arun on the left side when departing from ICONSIAM, and on the right side on the way back. While enjoying your meal, when you see Wat Arun from a distance, you can head to the front of the cruise to take pictures.
Alcoholic beverages are not included in the buffet and must be ordered at an additional cost. The legal drinking age in Thailand is 20, so you need to bring your ID when ordering alcohol.
If you provide your date of birth when booking and bring your passport on the day, you can receive a free birthday cake and a celebratory song. Even if you didn't mention it during booking, you can tell the live performers, and they will sing a birthday song for you.
Since it is hard to catch a Grab after the cruise ends, it is recommended to use the taxi service located towards the NaRaYa store on the 1st floor. When boarding, make sure to check if the meter is running, and negotiate the fare if necessary.
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